An Assessment on the Western Boundary of the Early Bronze Age Settlement of Kültepe
Fikri Kulakoğlu1
, Elif Genç2
, Güzel Öztürk3
, Ryoichi Kontani4
1Ankara Üniversitesi, Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi, Arkeoloji Bölümü, Protohistorya ve Önasya Arkeolojisi Anabilim Dalı, Ankara/TÜRKİYE https://ror.org/01wntqw50
2Çukurova Üniversitesi, Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi, Arkeoloji Bölümü, Protohistorya ve Önasya Arkeolojisi Anabilim Dalı, Adana/TÜRKİYE https://ror.org/05wxkj555
3Balıkesir Üniversitesi, Mimari Restorasyon Programı, Balıkesir/TÜRKİYE https://ror.org/02tv7db43
4Notre Dame Seishin University, Okayama/JAPONYA https://ror.org/04t4jzh38
Keywords: Kültepe-Kanesh, Central Anatolia, Early Bronze Age, 3rd millennium BC, Settlement Layout, Ditch.
Abstract
Kültepe (ancient Kanesh) is situated on a fertile plain irrigated by the Sarımsaklı Stream, extending north of Mount Erciyes and located 20 km northeast of Kayseri city center. The settlement, consisting of two main sectors –the Kanesh Mound and the Lower City– is approximately 2.5 km in diameter. With these dimensions, it stands as one of the largest Bronze Age cities not only in Anatolia but also in the ancient Near East. Systematic excavations conducted at Kültepe-Kanesh since 1948 have yielded unique artifacts and led to significant archaeological discoveries. Its central and strategic position at the intersection of natural and historical routes established it as one of the most powerful urban centers in Anatolia during the first quarter of the 2nd millennium BC –the period known as the Assyrian Trade Colonies Age. This advantageous location undoubtedly played a decisive role in the city’s transformation into an international center of trade and art between Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Syria, throughout both the 2nd the 3rd millennia BC. Previous research on the Early Bronze Age has focused on the central part of the mound where monumental public buildings are located; however, the spatial extent of the residential area and the existence of private dwellings remain unanswered questions. In order to address these issues, a series of excavations have been conducted on the northern and western slopes of the mound in recent years. This study focuses on the western slope excavations and analyzes the extent of the Early Bronze Age settlement and city’s urban development in light of the 2020-2021 excavation seasons.
